Door operating mechanism



May 16,, 1933. M. w. TALEN DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Shee t 2 Filed April 15, 1951 Patented May 16, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAURITZ TALEN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO SECURITY FIRE DOOR COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI noon. OPERATING MECHANISM Application filed April 15,

My invention relates to door operating mechanisms, and more particularly to individual operators for elevator doors of the vertically reciprocating type wherem the door is suspended from a flexible member that passes over a sheave or sprocket wheel and is operated by an electric motor.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a simple and efficient mechanism for driving the door supporting sheaves or sprocket wheels. Another object is to enable such mechanism'to be quickly and-easily applied to the door construction without material alteration thereof; Anotheriobject is to prevent damage to such mechanism. in the event that the door is prevented from completing its opening and closing movements. Other objects, are to provide for lubrication, cheapness, compactness and durability of such mechanism. The invention consist in the door operating mechanism, and in the construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanyin drawings, which form part of this speci cation and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a roomside view of a portion of an elevator, showing a door at one of the landings equipped with an individual door operating mechanism embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is avertical cross-section through the housing containing the worm gearing for driving one of the door supporting sprocket wheels,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary roomside, elevation of the door construction, showing the motor and worm gearing for driving the othersupporting sprocket wheel, the housing containing said gearing being shown in vertical cross-section,

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section on the line 55 in Fig.4,

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectiona. view of the slip coupling for connecting the motor and worm shafts,

1931. Serial No. 530,255.

Fi 7 is a transverse cross-section onthe line --7 in Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 isa side view of one of the flexible couplings for connecting the worm shaft sections; and I Fig. 9 is a transverse cross-section on the line 99 in Fig. 8.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, my invention is shown in connection with a vertical sliding counterbalanced closure or door construction for one of the openings in an elevator shaft. As shown in the drawings, said door construction comprises vertically reciprocating upper and lower door sections A and B, respectively, slidable in suitable vertical door guides 1 mounted on the wall of the elevator shaft on opposite sides of the door opening therein. The upper and lower door sections are hung on flexible members, preferably in the form of sprocket chains 2, that pass respectively over and are preferably driven by sprocket wheels the elevator shaft adjacent to the upper corners of the door opening. each door supporting chain 2 is suitably connected to the adjacent lower corner of the upper door section, and the other end of said chain is suitably connected to the upper end of an upright rod 4, whose lower end is secured to the outer end of an arm 5 that projects horizontally from the adjacent upper corner] ofthe lower door section. By thisarrangement, one door section acts as a counterbalance for the other; and the two sections move simultaneously towards and away from each other. The elevator door construction thus far described is well known and it is considered unnecessary to illustrate it in detail.

Each elevator door is opened and closed by means of an individual door operating mechanism or unitcomprising an electric motor, preferably a reversible torque motor 6, which can be stalled under full load for several minutes without injury. 'The customary limit switches (not shown) are employed for automatically stopping the motor when the door sections reach the limits of One end of 1 3, 3w mounted upon horizontal axes within the usual push button stations (not shown) are provided on the car and on each floor for starting, stopping and reversing said motor.

The motor 6 is mounted on a supporting plate or bracket 7 that is bolted or otherwise secured to the roomside of the elevator shaft adjacent to the door sprocket wheel 3. The armatureshaft 8 of the motor 6 is disposed horizontally and is connected by means of a slip coupling C with the adjacent end of a shaft 9 disposed in axial alinement with said motor shaft. The shaft 9 is provided with a worm 10 which meshes with a worm gear wheel 11 fixed to a horizontal shaft 12. The worm gear shaft 12 is connected by means of a flexible coupling D to the outer end of shaft 13 which extends ieriraontally through the front wall of the elevator shaft and has the door sprocket wheel 8 fixed on its inner end. The worm 10 and the worm gear wheel 11 are enclosed in a lubricant containing housing 14-, which is rigidly secured to the motor supporting bracket 7 and is pro vided with suitable bearings for the worm and worm wheel shafts 9 and 12, respectively.

The worm shaft 9 is connected by means of a flexible coupling D to one end of a horizontally disposed connecting shaft 15 which extends substantially from side to side of the door opening and is journaled in suitable bearings 16 that are bolted to the roomside of the front wall of the elevator shaft just above said door opening. The other end of the connecting shaft 15 is connected by means of a flexible coupling D to a horizontal shaft 9a having a worm 10a thereon which meshes with a worm gear 11o fixed to a horizontal shaft 12m. The worm gear shaft 12a is connected by means of a flexible coupling D to a shaft 13a, which extends horizontally through the front wall of the elevator shaft and has the door supporting sprocket wheel 3w secured to its inner end. The worm 10a and the worm gear 11a are enclosed in a lubricant containing housing 144 which is provided with suitable bearings for the worm shaft 9a and the worm gear shaft 12a. The gear housing 14a is mounted on a supporting plate or bracket- 7a that is bolted to the roomside of the front wall of the elevator shaft. 7

The operation of the door operating mechanism is as follows: When it is desired to operate the door, the motor 6 is started and the drive from said motor is transmitted through the worm gearing in the housing 1.4 to the sprocket wheel 3 and through the connecting shaft 15 to the worm gearing in the housing 14a. to the sprocket wheel 3a, which is rotated in a direction opposite to the direction in which the sprocket wheel 3 is rotated. The drive is then transmitted from the rotating sprocket wheels to the door chains 2 supported thereon, thereby causing the two door sections to slide in the door guides 1. The door sections are slid apart when the motor is operated in one direction and brought together when the motor is reversed.

The emergency slip coupling C'that con nects the armature shaft 8 of the motor 6 with the worm shaft 9 preferably comprises a dished driving disk 17, which is keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the motor shaft 8 for rotation therewith and is provided at its periphery with an inwardly extending annular flange. 18 that is spaced away from the main body portion of said disk and is provided on its opposite sides with fibrous friction rings 19. The worm shaft 9 is p revided with a pocket bearing 20 for the adjacent end of the motor shaft 8. The friction rings 19 on the disk 17 on the motor shaft 8 are adapted to be engaged by friction disks 21 and 22, respectively. The friction disk 21 is provided with. a hub portion 23 that is keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the worm shaft 9; and the friction disk 22 is slidably mounted on said hub portion for movement longitudinally thereof. The friction disk 22 is provided with a series of annularly spaced pockets 24, within which are mounted compression springs 25, the tension of which may be varied by means of an adjusting nut 26, which is threaded on the hub 23 on the friction disk 21 and bears against an annular plate 27 disposed between the adjusting nut and the springs. By this arrangement, the pressure of the springs 25 forces the friction disks against the friction rings on the driving disk 17 on the motor shaft 7 with suflicient pressure to rotate the worm shaft 9. The emergency slip coupling is adjusted by means of a nut 26 so that no slippage occurs when the door is operated under ordinary conditions. However, in the event that the door sticks or strikes an obstruction while the motor is running, the friction drive disk 17 on the motor shaft will slip on the friction disk on the worm shaft and thus prevent damage to the door operating mechanism.

Each. of the flexible couplings D, D, D" I and D comprises a member 28 fixed to one shaft and provided with diametrically opposed radially extending arms 29; and a similar member 30 fixed to the other shaft with its diametrically opposed radially extending arms 31 disposed at right an 'lcs to the radial arms 29 of the member 28. Located between the radially extending arms of the two members 28 and 30 of the coupling is l a flexible annular plate 32, which is riveted or otherwise rigidly secured flatwise to the radial arms of said members. By this arrangement a flexible driving connection is formed between the two shafts, thereby allowing for slight misalincment thereof.

The hereinbefore described door operating mechanism is simple, small, compact and can be quickly and easily applied without material alteration of the door mechanism. It is made up of a minimum number of parts; it provides for proper lubrication of the gearing and the bearings; and it dispenses with the use of chains and spur gears, and is therefore practically noiseless in operation. The emergency slip joint makes it possible to stop and hold the doors at any point of their travel without damage to the door or its operating mechanism; and the flexible couplings render unnecessary an accurate alinement of the cooperating shafts.

Obviously, the hereinbefore described construction admits of considerable variation without departing from the invention. Therefore, I do not Wish to be limited to the precise arrangement shown and described.

What I claim is:

1. An elevator door operating mechanism comprising a vertically slidable door, horizontal shafts located above the upper corners of the door opening, drive wheels on said shafts, flexible members passing over said drive wheels and operatively connected to said door to actuate the same, worm gear drive units located above the upper corners of said door opening for actuating the respective drive wheel shafts, a shaft extending from worm gear drive unit to worm gear drive unit above said door opening, flexible driving connections between said last mentioned shaft and said worm gear drive units and between the latter and said drive wheel shafts, a reversible electric motor located adjacent to one of said worm gear drive units, a slip driving connection between said motor and said worm gear drive unit, each of said worm gear drive units including a bracket located adjacent to one of the upper corners of the door opening, a worm, a Worm gear intermeshing therewith, and an oil tight housing fixed to said bracket and enclosing said worm and worm gear, said motor being supported on the supporting bracket for the worm'gear drive unit located adjacent thereto. 7

2. A door operating mechanism comprising a vertically slidable door, sprocket chains operatively connected to said door to actuate the same, sprocket wheels located adjacent to the upper corners of'the door opening and operatively engaging the respective chains to actuate the same, worm gear drive units located adjacent to and operatively connected with the sprocketwheels to drive the same, a shaft extending from worm gear drive unit to worm gear drive unit above said door opening, a reversible electric motor located adjacent to one of the upper corners of said door opening With its armature shaft in substantial endwise aline- .ment with the Worm shaft of the worm gear drive unit located adj acent thereto, a pocket bearing in said worm shaft for the adjacent end of said armature shaft, and an emer ency slip coupling between said armature s aft and said worm shaft, said emergency slip coupling comprising a dished driving disk slidably keyed to said armature shaft and provided at its periphery with an inwardly extending annular flange that is spaced away from the main body portion of said disk, friction disks adapted to engage the opposite faces of said inwardly extending annular flange, one of said friction disks being rotatable with and longitudinally slidable on said worm shaft, and the other of said friction disks being slidable on said first mentioned friction disk, a series of annularly spaced springs carried by one of said friction disks for forcing them into engagement ,With the annular flange of the dished driving disk, and means mounted on said dished driving disk for adjusting said springs.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 11th day of April, 1931.

I MAURITZ W. TALEN. 

